---
title: The power of different.
date: 2026-09-02T00:00:00+01:00
author: Simon Shaw
canonical_url: "https://www.hampton.agency/latest/the-power-of-different"
section: News
---
![The power of different hero image V3](/imager/images/25970/The-power-of-different_hero-image_V3_431567bef2136e95aa570246a682a9ae.jpg)*Creative Director, Simon Shaw on the power of different.*

# Different is essential

We all know times are tough. We all have to do more with less. Much more. So what do you, your business and your brand do? Keep your head down. Blend in. Business as usual. Don’t rock the boat. Play it safe.

All seems like sensible advice in a fractured and changing world. Or is it?

Are you missing an opportunity? To stand out when others blend in. There is strength in not conforming. Time to embrace your difference. To think differently about your next campaign.

Okay, so what do you mean by 'being different'? Unusual, unexpected, challenging, disruptive - it’s about seeing and doing things differently. Deviating from the norm. Joining up the dots in a different way and nd making different connections. Let’s look at WHY some brand campaigns do it differently. And in turn, do it effectively. Why does different work? Because it engages, it’s memorable and it resonates with your audience. Being different should be entrenched in your next campaign. It’s a powerful tool. If you are the same as everyone else why should a customer, potential employee, or partner choose you?

Campaigns that stand out often break conventions by using humour, disruption, or personalisation to connect with people on a deeper level. Memorable campaigns frequently challenge industry norms and break the rules.

Let's look at three brands we all know, how they did things differently, and in turn transformed their business. Although I've chosen consumer brands, your difference can shine inside your organisation or outside it. It can focus on colleagues or customers.

 

 

## 1. Beauty. Done differently.

The beauty space is saturated and competitive. Yes, there are different brands but they have always approached beauty in the same way. From Dior to Chanel. From YSL to L’Oréal. From Olay to Nivea. So who does it differently? With authenticity? Putting a clear space between them and others.

Sometimes ideas not only change perception, they change the world. This is one of them. Dove was bold and ambitious in doing beauty differently.  
  
Why did it work? It redefined our idea of beauty. It empowered ordinary everyday people. It connected with them emotionally. We saw ourselves in these ads. It hijacked the conversation. Creating a positive impact on society and brand perception. From a humble soap to a global beauty powerhouse. **It broke beauty stereotypes.**  
  
Different is also **effective.** The campaign has run for 20 years, and the business has grown from a soap brand into a $6bn business.

 

 

  ![Hampton great advertising example Dove Real beauty](/imager/images/25916/Hampton_great-advertising-example_Dove_Real-beauty_00ced601a4e98fd77912f623f292d33d.jpg)  

## 2. Burgers. Done differently.

We all know McDonald’s is number one in fast food. A global phenomenon with a slick, joined-up brand and bottomless pockets. Fast food is a highly competitive sector. So who takes them on and beats them at their own game?   
  
Burger King, being number two, does it differently. They troll number one. They rebranded to create a difference, then run campaigns that amplify that difference. Creating one (maybe two) of the most controversial and talked-about ads this decade. Attracting massive social sharing and customer uptake.

Why did it work? It worked because it was thorough. The brand went back to the future and reinvented itself. It was bold. It was relentless. It was clever. It was immediate. It used humour to play to its strengths and highlight McDonald’s weaknesses. It changed perceptions. And it changed the conversation. **It broke the fast food rules.**

Let’s look at two specific campaigns, one that worked and one that didn’t. We can learn as much from what didn’t work as what did. First up, the beauty of their no artificial preservatives campaign.

 

 

  ![Hampton great advertising example Burger King moldy whooper v2](/imager/images/25906/Hampton_great-advertising-example_Burger-King_moldy-whooper_v2_00ced601a4e98fd77912f623f292d33d.jpg)  

Beautiful but shocking. Burger King showed a decomposing burger over a 30-day period, highlighting the fact that it had stopped using preservatives across their meals, which added up to 3,500 tonnes of additives removed over a year.

The campaign was hugely effective, probably beyond their wildest dreams. Different can sometimes go **stratospheric**, with £40m in earned media, and 8.4bn impressions (yes, billion!)

 

 

  ![Hampton advertsing example women in kitchen new](/imager/images/25976/Hampton_advertsing-example_women-in-kitchen_new_c42be73bcdca585686ff8c94022cc052.jpg)  

 

On the other hand, Burger King's **International Women's Day Campaign** highlighted that being different and not thinking it through can backfire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have to be really careful with how things are phrased, even when good intent is there. Leading with **Women belong in the kitchen** killed the goodwill. Viewers on social media scroll quickly and don't read long copy; newspaper readers just read the headline. Burger King were forced to apologise and reframe the output.   
  
Those who continued reading would have discovered it was all about empowering female chefs in the workplace - a great initiative, but poorly executed.

 

 

## 3. Beverages. Done differently.

Beverage brands are some of the biggest in the world. From the humour of Irn Bru, to the trans-global fight for supremacy between Coca-Cola and Pepsi. And every fizz, water, and fruit juice in between.

It's hard for big brands to do something different. And really hard to do something that emotionally engages. Something that catches the public imagination and moves the dial for them. So when Coca-Cola launched the **Share a Coke Campaign** where your name appeared on the can, it was totally different for them and the sector.

 

 

Why did it work? **It was a simple idea**. It personalised an iconic brand. People became the brand. It felt like a big deal replacing the brand with your name. It amplified sharing, so more sales. It had a feel-good factor. It was borderless and peerless. Clever. What better way to sell a product to someone than to have their name on it? It broke its own brand rules.  
  
Again, different is **effective**. They saw an 11% increase in sales, and perhaps more importantly, 1.25 million new young customers. Bringing Coca-Cola to the next generation.

 

 

  ![Hampton great advertising example Coke Share a coke](/imager/images/25957/Hampton_great-advertising-example_Coke_Share-a-coke_00ced601a4e98fd77912f623f292d33d.jpg)  

## So why should you be different?

Through creating different brand campaigns, Dove, Burger King and Coca-Cola have positively channelled their differences with massive impact on their bottom line.

Why? Because being different engages, captivates and keeps us coming back for more. The science is with us. When we experience a novel situation, research has found we more easily store this event in our memory and have an emotional attachment to it. That’s why the best ideas sometimes come from, or go to, some very different places. Places you can’t focus group or run the data for.

Customers are demanding more engaging moments. More bold and unique experiences from brands they interact with. Across the world across sectors, **different is winning through**. Consumers notice, remember and choose you over others. Tap into your inner difference, nurture and encourage it.

Understand and embrace the value it holds as a business tool. If you look the same, you are the same. There is no difference. So why should anyone choose you?

 

 

At Hampton, we take a different approach. We see being different as the key ingredient to successful brands and campaigns. Thinking differently and taking an alternative view creates impact. Collaborating with you to offer diverse ideas and perspectives. Doing it differently will make a real difference because it’s effective.

**And it works**.

When Scotland’s largest independent optician [Duncan and Todd](https://www.hampton.agency/work/duncan-todd) wanted to realise their national potential and reach a younger demographic, we created a modern brand that transformed how they speak to their audience. Their seasonal sunglasses campaign **sold out in less than a month**, before summer even started.

When one of the world's biggest drinks companies wanted to galvanise their colleagues around the world, we developed a magazine that inspired, embraced and involved them. As a result, 92.5% of respondents rated it 4 or 5 for enjoyment, with a whopping **97.6% of the team reporting it made them feel proud to work for the company**.

When an energy company wanted their safety campaign to resonate with offshore workers, we delivered a different campaign that embraced the rig vernacular. One that got noticed, **helping to reduce accidents across the board** and got colleagues home safely.

And 19 years ago, when a brewery start-up wanted to scale up and tear up the rulebook, we were on hand to create a different kind of DIY brand for [BrewDog](https://www.hampton.agency/work/brewdog). One that supercharged their quest for fame and fortune and spawned a legion of copyists. **Helping transform them, at their zenith, into a $2bn business.**

Whatever your business, whoever your audience, wherever you operate, embracing your difference will make the difference. **Different does what average can’t.**

[Let us help you discover yours today.  ](https://www.hampton.agency/contact)

 

 

  ![Portrait of Simon Shaw](/imager/images/@imagesUrl/profiles/13740/Simon_3840x3840px_695789b6906d5d88d5ac4c6dc958e804.jpg) ## Simon Shaw

Creative Director 

 

 

 

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